Army National Guard Sgt. Joseph Nolte, a Hopewell Junction resident, receives German Armed Forces Badge

LATHAM, NY (04/03/2015)(readMedia)-- New York Army National Guard Sgt. Joseph Nolte, a Hopewell Junction resident, received the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge following five days of competition at Camp Smith Training Site, March 25-29.

Nolte, a member of the 107th Military Police Company, was one of 11 Army National Guard Soldiers who participated in the Best Warrior competition in which Soldiers from across New York compete to be the best enlisted Soldier and non-commissioned officer in the state.

The winners of those events will go on to participate in a regional competition at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. Eventually the best Army National Guard Solder and non-commissioned officer compete against their Active Army and Army Reserve counterparts in an Army-wide challenge.

This year additional events were added to the competition so that the Soldiers could win the German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge. This is the only German military award that can be earned by members of other militaries.

New York Army National Guard instructors were certified by the German military liaison officer at the United States Military Academy so they could conduct the competition.

The German proficiency badge is a military decoration of the Bundeswehr, the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany, which is awarded in gold, silver or bronze and is comprised of eight physically demanding events. Five events reflect varying levels of military training including a 100-meters swim in uniform, first aid, Nuclear Biological Chemical, pistol qualifications and a timed road march and three events in basic fitness including 11 10m sprints, flexed arm hang and a 1000m run.

In addition, Nolte and the other competitors also took part in military skills testing, military knowledge testing, and rifle marksmanship and stress-shooting events required for the Army Best Warrior competition. The stress-shoot combines strenuous physical activity with marksmanship to replicate battlefield conditions.

Nolte was one of five Soldiers who received the German proficiency badge.

Nolte, who joined the Army National Guard in 2009, is a Wallkill Police Officer in civilian life.